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It's not necessary. In some cultures the B & G walk down the aisle together at the beginning. Do what feels right to you.
I'll be walked down by my dad and possibly my mom. I don't want to walk by myself.
I didn't want to be "given away" for feminist reasons, but my mom told me how much it meant to my dad, so I'm caving. I'm all for not doing it, though!
I'm an only child and I think it would mean a lot to my dad to walk me down the aisle, especially because I lost my mom 10 years ago and she would have been having so much fun during this whole wedding planning process. I think her absence will be heavy in the room - like, she would have been the type to say, I'M giving you away, not your dad...! Ha. I just think it'll mean a lot to him to be the one who walks me down the aisle.
At the same time, I'm a feminist and although I've been embracing a lot of old traditions (albeit putting a modern spin on them!), I don't like the language "giving me away." I will be two weeks from turning 30 at the ceremony and am not changing my name and am thinking of using this language at the end (totally stealing it from a friend's ceremony!): "You may now kiss each other." I think it's sort of a strange custom. I want him to stand with me, but it's not like I'm a piece of property he's handing over to another man, you know? We all are part of the same family and will continue to be be in each other's lives...
Rambling. Anyway. I voted for option 2!
@noodlesploosh: All very good reasons, and I like changing the wording! I don't have a mom or a dad--my aunt raised me, but I don't think she'd care either way if she gave me away or not. So, to avoid ruffling feathers, I'm just walking by myself--well, also because I don't see a point to having an escort for myself. FH's stepmom suggested his dad give me away, and I was like..."What?!"
I will be walking down the aisle with my fiance. It's unconventional but for us it's absolutely the perfect thing to do. I'm very close with my father but also very nontraditional, so he didn't feel snubbed by it.
I'm glad my dad walked me down the aisle because i kept tripping on the front of my dress and i held onto him for dear life! The judge didn't say anything about "giving away" he just walked my to my spot and joined the guests.
@noodlesploosh: i don't like that giving permission to kiss either- we had the judge say "please seal your union with a kiss"
Has anyone done a double "give-away"? Both your parents and your FI's parents at the beginning of the ceremony? That seems like an interesting way to change things up.
I walked down the aisle with my dad and I guess he "gave me away" but I didnt really think of it like that....I just thought of it as my dad being there to support me in my last moments of being single before I married my husband. I loved walking down the aisle with my dad and then he shook my husband's hand and said "Take care of her" and then we hugged and he walked to his seat. It was very special! I think you should do what you want and what is right for you, your family and your future husband!
@Statutory Grape: My friend with the "kiss each other" ceremony also walked down the aisle by herself! The groom walked up by himself first, then the BMs & GMs walked up in pairs, then the bride by herself. It was lovely.
im a big girl and made this choice my self I dont need anyone walking me through it or giving permission,, eghhh lol
I changed the wording too. Like jo.lee, my feminist side came out & I didn't want to be "given away" from one man to another. I love my daddy & my husband, but the wording wasn't for me.
So, I had both my parents walk me down the aisle. They both raised me, and are equally important, so I thought it was only fitting.
My dad loved the idea (mainly bc he was nervous about having all the people looking at him.) But he also agreed that he would like my mom by my side also :)
No giving away, no processional, no all eyes on me only me, no patriarchal hierarchy! I considered walking down an 'aisle' with my partner, but it isn't as tempting an option as nixing the whole aisle is.
I hope I don't hurt my dad's feelings, I'm his only daughter, and idek if him walking me down the aisle/'giving me away' is a big deal to him or not.
I kinda just plan on us 'meeting' at a designated spot and being like 'go!' hahah not really, obviously, it will be little more classy than that ;)
I have been loved, cherished, protected, and valued by my family. Being given away is the symbolic move from the family of my birth to the new family. They are giving him the honor of loving, cherishing, protecting, and valuing me... as a wife and new family member. To me the concept of being given away isn't about feminism, but about family. Your family who loves you is presenting you to be married to someone that you love. They have raised you up to be the woman he loves... I'm definitely a Daddy's girl and will be honored to have him walk me up the aisle and reply "Her mother and I do... " to the question at hand!
@AnnieAAA: Sounds very sweet. I think this would have been my ideal situation...
I said yes to both but I dont know if that is true. My dad will walk my down the aisle and put my hand in FI's... so I guess he is kind of giving me away? But there will be no "who gives this woman"
@CorgiTales: this is what i want to do.... in my case tho, i want my stepdad and my father to both walk me down, one on either side....my stepdad is my fatherly figure but my father, even tho he wasn't always there, he tried his best to be and to stay in my life so its important to me for him to walk me down as well.... but i dont think i'm going to have any "who gives this woman..." either...
I walked unescorted, and there was no giving away.
We had an otherwise traditional, religious ceremony officiated by a minister, but even he said that he never asks "who gives this woman" unless he is specifically requested to do so.
So, no, you don't have to be escorted and/or given away. No one commented to me at all one way or the other about it.
No, this isn't necessary. My husband and I had a Catholic Mass, and we walked down the aisle together. Nobody gave me away.
I definitely couldn't have just my dad escort me - my parents are divorced and although I love him dearly, I'm closer to my mom who mostly raised me. So it would have to be both of them. But...
In addition to my mom and dad, I have two stepparents who I love and wouldn't want to exclude. That would make a very crowded aisle! I don't know what we're going to do yet. The wedding will be in my mom's backyard if the weather is nice, or in front of her fireplace if it isn't. So I think there might not even be any processional - we might just walk up to the front, etiher one at a time or together.
@Missbliss: This is exactly how I feel about it. I'm not anyone's property but my own, but my family is, right now, my birth family, and when I marry, my main family will become my husband. Thus, I have no problem with my dad (and quite probably my mom, too) "giving me away" from their family to join his. I guess I think of it more like a high school graduation ceremony that feeds right into opening ceremonies for college, or something like that. I was a part of something, but I am leaving that to join something else.
My Dad will be escorting me and there will be no "who gives this woman..?" schtick. I HAVE seen some places where that is asked and the response from the Dad is "with our blessing, she gives herself".
You can do whatever you are comfortable with...my brother walked me down the aisle and we were met at the end by my mom and stepmom (father passed away) and then our officiant asked "who gives this bride away" and my mother said "she gives herself freely and with our blessing" Yes, we "borrowed" that line from a TV show but I love it and it sums up what happened - I gave myself freely to my husband with the total support of my family. When my mom and I saw that moment on TV we both knew it was the perfect way for us to handle it - the family was still involved but my independence was intact!
I am honestly confused by the defintion of "giving away". My Dad walked me down the aisle. He then gave me a hug and shook hands with my hubby. I did not consider that being given away. I more thought of it as such a special thing that my Dad walked me down the aisle and got to have that honor.
Also, I wanted to mention that there was no " who gives this woman spcheel" At the start iof the wedding our pastor asked us if we were both there on free will and asked our families to support us. I am a feminist and never thought of my ceremony involving a giving away process, but I am very very glad that my Dad walked me down the aisle!
Both of my parents walked me down the aisle, since it's the Jewish tradition. I don't think there's any right or wrong with this.
I am walking down the aisle myself and FI is meeting me halfway. My mom, dad, brothers, and little sister will stand around us in a half-circle and "give me away".
I'm walking down the aisle with my mom, but she's not 'giving me away.' Our officiant is not going to mention that part. She'll basically walk me down and take her seat. 
My 14 year old son will be escorting me down the aisle. I also don't like the term "giving away" so I choose to say escort instead.
It isn't necessary at all, but I love my dad to bits and I know that he really wants to do it. The "giving away" part doesn't bother me... i mean, I live with my FI, we've been on our own for a long time now, so honestly my parents aren't "giving" me to him because they don't support me anymore, but it's a tradition that I know is symbolically important to my dad, and I love him, so it doesn't bother me.
My father is no longer living, and the only other man who's had a serious role in my life is my fiance. So I'm not really worried about the whole "giving away" bit, as there's no one to do it, and I don't feel anyone has the rights to "give away" a grown human being anyway. Personal opinion.
So far the plan is to walk solo. I don't want anyone obstructing the view of me in my stunning dress. Ha! This may change if someone's feelings get hurt though. Sigh.
My wife and I walked down the aisle together, and no one gave either of us away.
my dad will have to honor of both...he told me the other day that he might not let go :) i'm such a daddy's little girl (and only child!)
Um, no. We're in a public park and I think it'd be a little *too* much fanfare!
The thought of it has always bothered me, I guess because I think at heart I have always been a bit of a feminist. However, as the wedding drew near and because my dad in recent years has really made an effort to mend our relationship, I felt that he should be included. So, we compromised and I walked down the stairs and to the start of the aisle and my dad walked with me the rest of the way (only about 20 ft). As I mentioned in a previous post, my dad and FI surprised me by giving each other a high-five to acknowledge it. I thought it was hilarious and the perfect balance between maintaining some independence but allowing my dad to be a part of it!
My FI will walk down alone and I will walk down alone. We're both feminists and we want it to be equal :). FI will walk out after his groomsmen, I'll walk out after my bridesmaids. I'm really excited, although I'm sure the nerves will kick in right before I have to start walking!
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This isn't required, right? I'm planning to walk down the aisle by myself, and we're having a JP ceremony, so I'm guessing I don't need to have anyone "give me away."
Since I'm a shameless pollwhore, I've added a poll, too. Is anyone walking you down? Giving you away?